Re: MicroCodeStudioPlus keeps crashing.

Hi picster, I wasn't defending anyone only pointing out frustration does not help . . . have you tried running in xp compatible mode? Have you given it admin status? are you managing your paging file or allowing windoze to do it?

If you do not believe in MAGIC, Consider how currency has value simply by printing it, and is then traded for real assets..
Gold is the money of kings, silver is the money of gentlemen, barter is the money of peasants - but debt is the money of slaves.
There simply is no "Happy Spam" If you do it you will disappear from this forum.

Re: MicroCodeStudioPlus keeps crashing.

I have not tried in XP compatible mode, but will try that prior to trying it in a virtual machine. I have tried ADMIN status. Windows is managing my paging file, I have 16G of ram installed, and crashes occur in MCS when I've done a clean boot with very little running. No other apps that I use crash on my system, literally, ever. The error is not a BSOD, it's a program crash error (see below, if I can paste the image properly).

Same happens in each of 3 laptops that I've tried this on, so it's not related to video card (which are different), and one was a pristine machine that I had just restored to factory settings. All are DELL.

Re: MicroCodeStudioPlus keeps crashing.

I've had MCSP crash on at least two different Machines, none of them DELL so no, that's not the key - either.
It seems that everytime this issue is brought up people have forgot that it's been reported over and over again - for years - by a varity of users. It is NOT an isolated event on a single computer. Many users have experienced the problem - and reported it.

It's clear that there are more people not noticing the issue than there are people who do but that doesn't make it any less "real".

I don't mean to sound negative, it's great that we're throwing ideas up in the air and one day or another we might find the issue and if/when we do we MIGHT get Mecanique to fix it because one thing is clear, as is they don't give a shit.

With that said, I don't think I've had a single crash on my (now not so) new machine running W10.

Re: MicroCodeStudioPlus keeps crashing.

There must be something in common to all these machines that crash on MCS.

Can you give more details as to what your machines were composed of?

Ioannis

Just curious, where does one begin with this? Hardware or software, driver versions, or ? I ask because my "main" laptop is a 2012 model and has served like a loyal horse, and has accumulated lots of software for all purposes over that time - it's not just used for this. Meanwhile, a "too slow" laptop "give it to dad" from one of my kids that I just wiped back to factory has minimal installs, and still exhibits the issue (I tried in a desperate attempt to rid myself of the problem). Obviously that would be an easier place to start, but on an established, somewhat loaded multipurpose system, it's really not viable - maybe the COMMON software/hardware elements with the "bare bones" system would be helpful.

Re: MicroCodeStudioPlus keeps crashing.

If you read this thread on the MELABS forum you'll get some information and background to the problem. I just browsed thru it and see that I apparently had 80 logged crashes during the course of 2 years and that was back in 2014 meaning it's been crashing on me, personally since 2012.

So it's me, BigWumpus, Norton, c_moore, picster, Dick Ivers, BrianT and even Darrel across two or three threads. I'm fairly certain others have chimed in as well but again, whenever one does it feels like someone else says "I've never seen it so it must be something with your computer". I know everbody is just trying to help but it's pretty frustrating.

I've said it before but I'll say it again. It may very well be some other software or driver or whatever that is the actual culprit but then MCSP is overly sensitive to whatever is because it's the only spftware that crashes like this.

Re: MicroCodeStudioPlus keeps crashing.

Unfortunately, I just discovered that I cannot try it on a Windows XP machine - virtual or otherwise, since the PIC I'm using requires PBP 3.1 and it is incompatible with XP... so unless I can pick up a cheap W7 laptop somewhere, I'm no further ahead and at somewhat of a dead end. I *can* try it on a machine that I recently upgraded to W10 - although - it previously crashed on that machine running W7.

Re: MicroCodeStudioPlus keeps crashing.

If I may add, to me, problem probably doesn't have anything with hardware, drivers, etc...
A List index out of bauds(0) points to me, that some of list isn't initialized. I don't know how they triggering recognition of keywords, and auto correct etc.
I think that error probably jump out while typing. So it needed to be specific combination, I think someone mention that error is related with typing comments.
I don't know what programing language they use, but simple TRY ... CATCH should do a trick, or in VB on error resume next in every sub routine. That isn't a lot of work, but it can ignore error, or point to line of code where is happening.
Anyway, that I use in my programs to prevent crashes, and when error do happen, user can send me print screen with detailed description in MSGBOX. Saved me lot of times...

Re: MicroCodeStudioPlus keeps crashing.

I agree with pedja089. Finding the set of repeatable circumstances which cause the crash would be the most beneficial as it would give the author something to work with in debugging what's probably several thousand lines of code.

Re: MicroCodeStudioPlus keeps crashing.

Of course, and don't think for a second we haven't tried to but it really does feel totally random. Except for the fact that it has never ever (not for me at least) crashed when just sitting idle, it's ALWAYS been while I have been typing on the keyboard.

The strange thing is that sometimes it could work for Days without a single crash and sometimes it would crash 5 times in 20 minutes.

picster, I don't think it has anything to do with hardware so I'd certainly try it on the W10 machine you have. That would actually be a good test since you know it used to crash on that very same machine under W7, correct?

Re: MicroCodeStudioPlus keeps crashing.

So, i was correct. They only need to put one try catch, in subroutine that is called for each key press.
And sooner or later it will show it self with detailed description in MSG box.
I'm 99% sure, that is sometimes expecting next letter or previous to be typed, but it isn't there.
Does anyone notice patter if this happens to specific command or randomly?
It also can be helpful if you notice that it crash while typing in middle of word, or if typing new word.
Eg if you type ADIN, and want to add letter C, in middle of word.
Now we just need source code to correct that
EDIT:
I think, for .net application you can actually get line number where error occurred.

Re: MicroCodeStudioPlus keeps crashing.

From my experience, it tends to crash more when typing remarks, but then again, I document to death, so that's probably not relevant. I have seen it crash when typing commands of any kind, and even when NOT typing, which leads me to believe that it's not necessarily driven by user / keyboard / mouse events. From my own Windows programming experience, it is reminiscent of an array dimension error where something is reading or writing outside its defined array space, out of bounds. I agree that an overall error trap with diagnostic codes within the program is something that seems sensible if the author is serious about trying to narrow this down. For Windows to display the error instead, it seems to bypass any useful internal error trapping within the program.

I have never programmed in Delphi, so I'm not familiar with the nuances of arrays, memory allocation, or error trapping, and my thoughts may be off base in that regard.

Re: MicroCodeStudioPlus keeps crashing.

...I have never programmed in Delphi, so I'm not familiar with the nuances of arrays, memory allocation, or error trapping, and my thoughts may be off base in that regard.
Picster

I program with Delphi and access violations can occur (array overrun) for one. I use an add-on called madExcept as one of my debugging tools. Included in the crash report is usually the offending line number.

Re: MicroCodeStudioPlus keeps crashing.

Trying to resolve an issue like this is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. I recently got a shiny new i7 laptop at work and installed all the programs I needed to do my job. The software I use for programming Mitel Phone Systems would lose connection to the system after around 1-2 minutes. Tried all the settings in the program, raised a ticket with Mitel Tech Support, disabled Antivirus and Firewall etc but still couldn't get it to stay connected.

Finally I decided to uninstall all the pre-installed HP Bloatware. My Mitel Software now runs perfectly.

I realise this isn't directly related to this thread but it may be worth considering.

Re: MicroCodeStudioPlus keeps crashing.

Originally Posted by pedja089

If I may add, to me, problem probably doesn't have anything with hardware, drivers, etc...
A List index out of bauds(0) points to me, that some of list isn't initialized. I don't know how they triggering recognition of keywords, and auto correct etc.
I think that error probably jump out while typing. So it needed to be specific combination, I think someone mention that error is related with typing comments.
I don't know what programing language they use, but simple TRY ... CATCH should do a trick, or in VB on error resume next in every sub routine. That isn't a lot of work, but it can ignore error, or point to line of code where is happening.
Anyway, that I use in my programs to prevent crashes, and when error do happen, user can send me print screen with detailed description in MSGBOX. Saved me lot of times...

Do users get access to the program code? Try/Catch isn't something that would be found on the user's end of things.

Re: MicroCodeStudioPlus keeps crashing.

No. Just when exception is catch, you can get detailed description about it. You can convert it to string, and then display in msgbox with some custom info. Eg I put name of subroutine, etc...
This is VB .Net code:

If they add something like this in MCS error should be located.
Then they can just ignore it, or something, but main goal should be that all work is saved, before it crash.
Eg they can just put few lines of code to create backup of all open files, to some location. Or to check on start up is there backup, and to ask user what to do, Restore from it, ignore, or what ever.

Re: MicroCodeStudioPlus keeps crashing.

Doesn't your exception notification only occur on a button1 click error meaning the try catch routine would need to be added throughout the possibly thousands of lines of IDE code. Could be done I guess but just saying.

Re: MicroCodeStudioPlus keeps crashing.

No, yes, maybe It depends...
It needed to be added only to events subroutine. Eg click, keypress, keydown, timer tick, etc... For MCS I think it is just few events for editor box(timer, keypress, keydown, keyup).
If you call any subroutine or function, and error happens in function it will point to that function. So I can usually narrow down to single function. Then I usually menage to recreate that event, or if I can I'll add that error handler to that function, then make new exe, and wait for someone to report error.
I usually put error handler while writing code.
For some non critical stuff(changing txtbox color, formatting, preventing user to enter something wrong, etc) I just put "on error resume next". So it will just go over error, and probably with next char error should be gone, and formatted correctly.

Re: MicroCodeStudioPlus keeps crashing.

If program not doing anything, and error pops up, then problem is in programming language, and framework. That would be very bad situation...
I can put bet that there is some events that are timer based, so if you don't do anything, program can still do it.

Re: MicroCodeStudioPlus keeps crashing.

I agree - timer or something in the background can cause this as well. I've certainly seen a lot MORE program crashes during keypresses, but I have come back after a head-clearing break and found the program with the dreaded error message on the screen. I would assume that timer events happen far less frequently than keypress events, and crashes while typing remarks/comments are most prevalent because they are disproportionately high in "event frequency".